• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • About
  • Shop
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

teach mama logo

teach mama

helps families connect & build bridges between home & school, by amy mascott

  • early literacy
    • alphabet
    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
    • computer time
    • iPad for learning
  • early literacy
    • alphabet
    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
    • computer time
    • iPad for learning
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

getting a little sneaky with literacy

home / reading / environmental print / getting a little sneaky with literacy
24 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

literate environmentToo many times, parents think that in order to support their children’s developing literacy skills, they have to sit down with a book on their laps, read through the entire book, and then drill their kid with basic comprehension questions when they’re finished reading.

No, no, and no way, Jose.

Sure, I am all for quality book-reading time together, and I am a serious proponent of making homes literate environments. But I am also a queen of sneaking a little learning in at any point in the day.

So I’ve compiled a few of my favorite ways of incorporating literacy into the every day: the teachmama way.
Hopefully you’ll join me for the ride!

  • In The Car: Signs, signs, everywhere are signs. I usually try to use the time I’ve got my kiddos strapped safely into their car seats, and I point out the signs we see every single time we leave the house. Start tomorrow–on the way to preschool or the grocery store–and soon you’ll have even your youngest ones yelling, “S-T-O-P, stop! B-U-M-P, bump!”
  • At The Table: Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, my kids are again, stuck in their chairs (or at least I hope so!), staring at the decorations on my walls. Being an avid (and even sometimes tacky) holiday-decorator, I’ve tried to buy decorations that have words so that my little ones are learning even while they’re chewing. And those wild and crazy cereal boxes? I close ’em up after cereal is poured, and I leave them on the table. So what if my kids’ first sight words are ‘corn’, ‘pop’, and ‘cheerio’? It’s something!
  • On the Beach: After we’ve tired of wave-jumping, crab-hunting, and sand castle-building, I try to sneak in a game or two of tic-tac-toe with my kiddos. There’s something about a stick and wet sand that makes writing–and reading–silly messages all the more fun.
  • In the Back Yard: Sticks and stones may break bones, but sticks (if used carefully) can also be pretty cool building blocks for letters and words. When we pile up the sticks from our big tree out back, we’ve ‘written’ names and messages by using the sticks to create letters. Pretty sneaky, huh?
  • At the Store: Kid-friendly shopping lists take some preparation on my part, but when I’m faced with a long grocery list and have my 5, 4, and 2 year old with me as my partners in crime, the shopping lists are like gold. By personalizing lists for each of my kiddos, complete with a picture and the name of the item, my children become more invested in the task at hand, and they’re reading along the way.
  • In the Kitchen: Lots of parents have their kids help them in the kitchen, but actually having emerging readers read the ingredient list and the directions is a great way of getting them involved in the process and having them practice reading at the same time. I’ve modified many of our favorite recipes so that the ingredient list is easy to read, complete with word and picture, and the directions are clear and have pictures as well.

These are just some of the ways I try to incorporate literacy into our every day. There are a million ways of crossing the same bridge, but as many know, I’m all for the somewhat-secret, kinda-sneaky ways.

Happy Share a Story, Shape a Future Blog Tour Week! I’m grateful to be a part of Literacy My Way, Literacy Your Way, Day 2, hosted by Susan Stephenson of the Book Chook.

Please be sure to check out the other really incredible, totally awesome contributors and great giveaways (there’s even two sets of curriculum donated by Tara Rison of Itty Bitty Bookworm) .

Here’s a link to Day 1, The Many Faces of Reading. Happy reading!

(Share a Story, Shape a Future button designed by Elizabeth Dulemba)

Thanks for subscribing to teachmama! Have a good one!

You May Also Like...

  • how to prepare your child for kindergarten -- summertime prep
    how to prepare your child for kindergarten -- summertime prep
  • Navigating Education in a Time of Uncertainty: A Virtual Summit for Educators
    Navigating Education in a Time of Uncertainty: A Virtual Summit for Educators
  • learn to read app for kids 3-7: Duolingo ABC
    learn to read app for kids 3-7: Duolingo ABC

About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

Previous Post: « children count too: census 2010
Next Post: an everyday nonfiction: newspaper reading »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar

our books & freebies

setting the stage for rock-star readers
raise a reader
amy mascott profile blog
subscribe teachmama

join the coolest club around:

Find Us On Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Helpful Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Follow Us On Instagram

View
Open
Itโ€™s absolutely true. 
100%
#Facts

<<Not sure exactly where this image originated. Will credit once I find out.>>

#MyBodyMyChoice #KeepYourLawsOffMyBody
View
Open
My favorite little spot to lay out the mat = โ˜€๏ธ๐ŸŒŠ๐Ÿงœ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

Use an emoji to tell me yours. 

remember: it doesnโ€™t matter what you do as long as you move your body in some way each day. Total game changer. Promise. 

For me, walking the ๐Ÿ•โ€๐Ÿฆบ๐Ÿถ and ๐Ÿง˜๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธare daily non-negotiables for my physical AND mental health. 

I do the @melissawoodhealth videos each day, and her upbeat, casual attitude, variety of low-impact strengthening workouts, and reminders to just keep coming back are key. 

#KeepComingBack #WeGotThis #TalkAboutMentalHealth #MWH #MoveYourBody
View
Open
Tell me itโ€™s summertime without telling me itโ€™s summertime. โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿšฒ

#SummerSwimTeam #SweetRides #neighborhoodkids #MarylandLife #ThisIsSummer #tanterratarpons
View
Open
Did you get it? 

Have to ask because there just *may* be a secret surprise giveaway for some of you lucky ๐Ÿฆ† ๐Ÿฆ†๐Ÿฆ†

Join now: https://take5.teachmama.com/

#TeachmamaTake5  #iykyk #Take5 #BestoftheWeb #familyfun #educatornews #linkinbio
View
Open
This book is SO different from any other I have read in the recent past, and itโ€™s something that is both refreshing and hopeful. 

My friend @techninjatodd wanted to put out a book that would be a source of hope, a reminder that we are not alone. A testament to the fact that every season of life matters. 

And so, In This Season: Words From the Heart was born, with help from the amazing @apron_education @allylee21 @writtentospeak @omar2764

โ„๏ธโ„๏ธโ„๏ธโ„๏ธ

Life is full of seasons.

Each of us has endured the cold of winter, the growth of spring, the light of summer, and the change of fall. Weโ€™ve climbed to the mountaintops and been deep in the valley.

In This Season: Words for the Heart takes the emotions we feel deep within and puts them into words. The pages of this book invite you to reflect and lean in as you continue through season after season.

๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒธ๐ŸŒธ

Check this book out, friends. It is worth your time, and it is the perfect book for busy educators to pick up, read a few pages over a quick cup of coffee before the day begins or as you kick up your feet at the end of the day. 

It feels like a quiet conversation with a close friend or dear colleague. Important topics are touched on which remind us that our feelings and thoughts and insecurities are often not as unusual as we may think. Rather, these ups and downs of life are a shared experience that couldโ€”and should!โ€”be shared more frequently and openly. The reminder that we are not alone could not come at a more pivotal time for all of us; in the past two years, we have been reminded that life is short but that seasons change. Letโ€™s make the most of what we have!

Thank you, Todd, LaNesha, Tanner, and Alice for starting this conversation. 

โ˜€๏ธโ˜€๏ธโ˜€๏ธโ˜€๏ธ

Grab it here: https://amzn.to/3O4jMqN

And do follow these great writers, educators, and thought leaders. 

๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ

#InThisSeason #linkinbio #newrelease #whatimreading #beachreads #teacherauthor #mustreadbooks
View
Open
What better time than NEXT WEEK to have the biggest and baddest sale of summer 
โ˜€๏ธ๐Ÿš๐ŸŒด๐ŸŒŠ?!

WOOO-hoooooo!

Stay tuned for more: 
zulily.gfpv.net/teachmama

#zulilyfinds #zulilypartner #zulilywowweek #teachmamadealsandsteals
View
Open
THANK YOU @reallygreatreading for the 2-part 6-hr workshop, Bringing the โ€˜Science of Readingโ€™ to Life in the Classroomโ€”

This program is amazing, life-changing, and exciting. I cannot wait to use these strategies and program with my students this summer!

Educators and familiesโ€”check out the resources on this site. Phenomenal. 

Makes me so happy. 

#TeachReading #RaiseAReader #ReallyGreatReading #OnlinePD
View
Open
We have a gun violence crisis in America that kills more than 110 people each day, and itโ€™s past time that the U.S. Senate does something about it.

Call your senators and demand they #DontLookAway from this crisis: 

Text BOLD to 644-33 and @everytown will connect you.

#UseYourVoice #NotOneMore
View
Open
Do you know what culturally responsive teaching looks like? 

Can you imagine what culturally responsive teaching should look like when it comes to our special learners? 

Join me on Monday, June 6 at 8pm ET on Facebook as I chat with educator and founder of @atypicalfamily , *Lisa Quinones* and Special Education Advocate and Lobbyist, *Lisa Lightner* of @lisa.lightner.ig A Day In Our Shoes.

We will be chatting about the impact of culture on students' learning and its implications on the special education classroom.

I cannot wait. It'll be short--but it'll be packed with info. Bring your questions and join us!

Find us here: https://www.facebook.com/teachmama

Thank you to @advancementcourses for bringing us together!

#linkinbio @teAChTeam #culturallyresponsiveteaching #specialeducationteacher

Copyright © 2022 · teach mama media, llc · All Rights Reserved

24 shares